Monday, 31 December 2012

Juliette was over the moon to be designated chief-reviewer of the WaggleTagz 3D Tagz Studio that we received to review recently, not least of all because it is very similar to the Hello Kitty Cool Cardz Design Studio that big sister Sophie reviewed last year !

As you can see on the back of the box (and also on the enclosed instruction sheet), you just need to decorate your chosen card with writing, add stickers and use the laminator machine to add a plastic protective cover. If you so wish, for the smaller cards, you can add a plastic frame. For both the small and large cards, there is a hole allowing you to attach a tag tie.

Juliette excitedly unpacked everything and oohed and aahed at the 3D cards with cute animals on.

She wrote her name and her boyfriend's name (yes, she already has a "boyfriend" aged 7 !!) and added stickers saying "fun" and "best friends" as well as a heart. Very cute !

I had to read the instruction sheet twice but the laminator is actually very simple to use. You peel off the adhesive backing from the plastic lens, slot the lens (the plastic coating) and the decorated card into the two levels of the laminator and twist the handle which presses the two together like a mangle and spits it out the other end. The laminator is simple to use but did make a few ominous creaking noises so I'm not sure how robust it will be over time. You could actually just stick the two sheets together without using it anyway, but where would be the fun in that ?!

Juliette was very pleased with the results and now wants to make some more for all her friends, as well as luggage tags for when we go on holiday (well, that may have been my idea actually !). Luckily you can buy refill packs with all the cards, lenses and stickers that you need to make more tags, although they do work out quite expensive.

It's a lovely creative kit for kids (particularly girls, given the designs on the stickers, but there may be other designs available that are more aimed at boys) that would appeal to anyone aged about 6-12. It's expensive for what it is, because you only get enough for about a dozen cards (I forgot to count them - sorry!) but it is fun while it lasts and Juliette said I should give it top marks !

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £19.99

Disclosure : We received a WaggleTagz 3D Tagz Studio in order to write an honest review.

WeightWatchers recently sent me through some sachets of their hot chocolate to try out. I already knew about their regular hot chocolate because they sent through a tub of it in one of their hampers of products, but this time I also discovered the mint and caramel varieties.

The hot chocolate powder just needs to be stirred into hot water for an instant chocolatey drink. You can either buy it in big tubs with enough for 20 servings or in single serve sachets, which are ideal for keeping in your drawer at work. Each mug of WeightWatchers hot chocolate only contains 40 calories, 0.9g of saturated fat and 1 ProPoint.

It's perfect for warming you up after traipsing around the sales in the cold or doing a school run in the rain but I have to say, if I'm having a chocolate craving, it doesn't really hit the spot. I'd rather have a WeightWatchers chocolate cake or biscuit which are equally low in ProPoints and feel more naughty and indulgent !

It's a pleasant enough instant hot chocolate drink though, that reminds me of similar low-cal chocolatey drinks such as Options. I find it's more of a cocoa taste than a chocolate taste but everyone else in The Madhouse loves it, so it's just down to personal taste.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £2.89 for a jar, 35p for a single-serve sachet

Disclosure : We received a selection of WeightWatchers hot chocolate sachets in order to write an honest review.

If your New Year plans involve working on a new arrival in your family, you may be interested to know that First Response have just redone their website, which now offers their products through PayPal at massively discounted prices. Read on for more details :

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More than half price off First Response pregnancy products

First Response have launched a new website where visitors can buy the First Response pregnancy and ovulation products through PayPal at hugely discounted prices and have them delivered direct to their home.

The website also offers a range of planning tools and calculators which can help optimise a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.

THE BEST TIME TO HAVE SEX…

The website has a new ‘Ovulation Widget’ desktop app. It gives users 3 tools to help find out the dates when they are ovulating:

· An Ovulation Calendar – for users to plan and see when they are ovulating in the future.

· SMS – if users enter their mobile number, then a text message is sent to the user every month on the day they begin ovulating.

· Email – similar to the SMS, if a user enters their email then they receive a personalised email every month, telling them, ‘It’s Time!’

PLAN AHEAD AND BE ‘CALCULATING’!

There are also two other ‘calculators’:

· Test Day Calculator – this helps calculate when is the earliest the woman can test to see if the pregnancyhormone is present.

· Due Date Calculator – this will allow users to calculate the approximate due date of their baby.

The three products available at less than half the retailer recommended price are:

· First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests, big value 5 stick pack, £8.99 (RSP £18.99**): First Response tells you first – the test has ultra sensitive technology that can detect really small amounts of the pregnancy hormone. That means you could get the answer with First Response, five days before your period is due.*

· First Response Daily Ovulation Tests 20 stick pack, £14.99 (RSP £37.99**): allows you to track ovulation for 20 consecutive days. It takes the guess work out of predicting when you are most likely to get pregnant.

· First Response Easy Ovulation Tests 5 stick pack, £8.99 (RSP £20.49**): could help you get pregnant sooner[1] by predicting your 2 most fertile days, the time that you are most able to become pregnant, and is over 99% accurate.[2]

Quite some time ago, I was contacted by singer-songwriter Nick Cope to ask if we'd like to review one his kids' CDs. Although he now focuses on creating music for children, he has had twenty years of experience in music, including international success as lead singer and songwriter with The Candyskins in the 1990s.

We received the CD entitled What Colour is Your T-Shirt? but there are two others available called My Socks and Why is the Sky Blue? Each CD costs £10 but you can currently buy all three for £25.

I have to admit, I should have written this review months ago but there is a very good reason why it got overlooked - the Madhouse Mini-testers put it in the car to try it out and they loved it so much, it never made it back into my "to be reviewed" box! It was only when I received the Christmas newsletter to announce the release of the newest CD that it gave me a much needed nudge to get my review written !

The CD contains 10 songs which all have lyrics that will appeal to kids but tunes that won't drive their parents to distraction, even when it ends up being put on a loop ! You can tell that Nick Cope has a background in proper grown-up music because this is real music with real instruments, not the irritating headache-inducing bopathons that constitute normal kid-oriented music !

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the track-listing doesn't really look any different to classic kids' CDs :

01. As I lie here in my bed

02. Here we go

03. 5 little monkeys

04. Gravity

05. What colour is your t-shirt?

06. Move around

07. Best foot forward

08. Little fish

09. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

10. Clap your hands

But I really appreciate the witty stories in the songs and the educational aspects that can be developed - discussing gravity and the different languages in 1,2,3,4,5 for example. The main advantage is definitely the fact that it sounds like real music that grown-ups would listen to without the kids though (just maybe with different lyrics !).

YOU’VE
WATCHED THE SMASH HIT COMEDY STARRING CAMERON DIAZ AND JENNIFER LOPEZ
-NOW STAYING FIT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER! What
To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Workout
is the ultimate pregnancy exercise
programme
designed to help you fit fitness into all nine months of your
pregnancy and is out for the first time on DVD 26th
December
(RRP £17.99). With six 10-minute mix-and-match routines, you can
customise your workout to fit your fitness level, your mood and your
growing body from day to day, week to week and trimester to
trimester.

ALSO
AVAILABLE: What
To Expect When You’re Expecting
the hit comedy about facing the challenges of impending parenthood
starring Jennier Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock and Matthew Morrison
out to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray now! (You can read my review of What To Expect When You're Expecting here.)

I have 3 copies of What To Expect When You're Expecting : The Workout to give away to Madhouse Family Reviews readers.

To be in with a chance of winning, just do the following :

- Comment on one of my other blogposts (other giveaways don't count!)

- Leave me a comment in the comments box below, with a way of contacting you (twitter name or email) and tell me which of my blogposts you commented on.

Bonus entries

You can do any or all of the following for bonus entries - just make sure you leave me one comment per entry so that they're all counted !

(1) Follow me on twitter (@cherylp59) and tweet about my competition. You can use the handy retweet button over in my side bar (feel free to shorten it if necessary) or write your own tweet but make sure you copy in @cherylp59 so I can track this.

(3) I love reading your comments so leave me some extra comments on my other blogposts (maximum 5 - other giveaways don't count !) and I'll give you a bonus entry for each one. Just remember to leave me a comment here each time to tell me you've done so.

(4) Subscribe to my blog by email (near the top of the right-hand sidebar) so that all the new posts pop into your inbox in a handy digest every morning

(5) click on the google +1 button over in my sidebar and/or add me as a friend on google+

(6) add a +k klout point to @cherylp59 on Klout and tell me which category you added it to

(7) Follow my blog with Google Friends Connect (over in the right hand side bar)

UK only. Closing date : 17/1/13

Please note, you will be contacted by email and/or twitter. If I haven't heard from you after a week, I'll have to pick another winner.

Here at The Madhouse, we love Hallmark Interactive Story Buddies. We've already been lucky enough to review Abigail the Bunny and Watson the Racoon and were over the moon to receive a new chum, Bigsby the friendly Monster. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of Story Buddies, you get a lovely hardbacked story book to read along with your child and certain key phrases activate your cuddly Story Buddy who springs to life and joins in with comments.

I thought Bigsby looked a bit like a Gruffalo and love his toothy grin. As soon as I took him out of the box, Pierre grabbed him for a cuddle.

He really does look like the Bigsby illustrated in the book so it's lovely for young children see the main character from the book come to life and play with them.

Madhouse Grandad was on story-telling duty today and Pierre loved listening to the story of Bigsby, even before the cuddly story buddy starting joining in.

I don't know who looked most surprised and delighted when Bigsby joined in - Pierre or Madhouse Grandad !

It adds a really lovely touch of magic to storytime. The book is lovely to read by itself, with lots of detailed, colourful illustrations, and the cuddly toy is beautifully soft and appealing, but putting the two together really takes them both to another level.

For even more story time fun with Bigsby, there is also a downloadable app suitable for use on iPhones and iPads, to accompany the furry creature. The free app includes a short animated story that can be played aloud through the app’s internal narrator or recorded by a loved one to add a personal touch to the tale. The app also includes child-friendly puzzles and an interactive game that lets your child play with Bigsby, just like in the book.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £19.99

Disclosure : We received a Bigsby Story Buddy in order to write an honest review.

When I discovered that Daxon were looking for bloggers to sign up as part of their blogger network, I did a quick straw poll to see who already knew something about the brand. Daxon is part of Redcats, which is the 3rd largest home shopping organisation in the world, but I always find that they're better known in France than in England. Sure enough, the only people who knew anything about Daxon said "oh yes, they sell granny knickers by mail order" ! Definitely time to set the record straight here ! Now is actually a great time to discover what Daxon have on offer because they have a brilliant sale going on with prices slashed by as much as 70%.

I love the look of this Ladies Milano Knit Block Colour A-Line Dress which would be perfect teamed with a pair of opaque tights and boots. It was £45 but is now a bargaintastic £13 which is an amazing 70% off.

Another dress that leapt out at me was this Ladies Printed Asymmetrical Dress. I love the bold geometrical print and the flattering cut. Oh, and the price ! It's down to £17 from £57 !

Just to put the granny knickers moniker to rest, whoever said that obviously needs a closer look because they have some lovely feminine and dare I say sexy lingerie on offer too. (Yes, too - they do have a selection of big pants and thermal undies if that's what floats your boat !) This lovely plum-coloured Sans Complexe® Feel Nice Ladies Wired Bra is now reduced to £11.50 from £23.

It's not all clothes though. They also have a home and garden section. The blue flower bed linen range that caught my eye when I was browsing through is 40% off so you can pick up the quilt cover for £34, reduced from £58.

Just before Christmas, I told you about the titles that Barefoot Books had sent through for Pierre (Driving My Tractor - Jan Dobbins) and Sophie (The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems) to review but I didn't had time to tell you about 7-year-old Juliette's option. Well, here it is - a lovely illustrated version of The Snow Queen from their Classic Fairy Tales collection. This version is retold by Sarah Lowes and illustrated by Miss Clara.

I absolutely love the illustrations which really bring the text to life. Some of them remind me of the Gorjuss illustrations that I like.

There are many full-page or even double-page colourful pictures which break up the text and make it less daunting for beginner readers.

Juliette liked the way the illustrations sometimes "spill over" the edge of the page and encroach on the text on the next page !

It isn't just a picture book though, it does have some longer sections of text for confident readers to get their teeth into. It's targetted at readers aged 8+ so I've been reading it with Juliette as it's slightly beyond her level, but she's really enjoying the story.

I must admit, I have been too because it's one of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales that I was less familiar with. If you need a quick refresher too, here's the synopsis : An evil troll creates a mirror which reflects the bad and ugly sides of people. Shards of its glass enter a young boy, causing him to reject his loving family and best friend Gerda. Helped by kind strangers and guided by her warm heart, Gerda makes the perilous journey to rescue her friend from the icy palace of the Snow Queen.

It's a story that would appeal to both girls and boys.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £6.99

Paperback: 64 pages

Publisher: Barefoot Books (1 Sep 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1846866618

ISBN-13: 978-1846866616

Product Dimensions: 14.4 x 20.7 cm

Disclosure : I received a selection of Barefoot Books in order to write an honest review.

A couple of weeks ago, Barratts got in touch to see if I'd like to review some of their boots from the kids' selection. I had a look through and saw several pairs that appealed to me, but I couldn't decide whether to buy a pair for Sophie, Juliette or Pierre. Then I noticed that the kids' sizes actually went up to bigger than my size (6) so I decided to get some for me !!

I originally opted for a pair with a wedge heel but these were out of stock. This was dealt with very swiftly. The money was refunded to my paypal account and I received an email to tell me that my order had been cancelled due to a stock or defect issue. When you place your order, there is actually an indication of which items are low on stock so you do know in advance

For my reorder, I plumped for the Leather Buckle Detail Riding Boots. They're mid-length, coming up to mid-calf, and they have a long zip so you can open them right up, making them easy to put on and pull off. I love the deep brown colour and the buckle detail. I wore them with very short trainer socks to break them in a bit, expecting them to start rubbing after a very short time, but ended up wearing them all day long with no discomfort whatsoever. The rounded toe and low, chunky heel make them really comfortable, even when traipsing around the sales for hours on end and they appear to be waterproof without any treatment whatsoever - it was raining hard but my feet stayed totally dry.

Their original price was £45 but they now have a lower £35 price tag which makes them an absolute bargain if you're buying them as an adult ! Barratts are currently holding a sale where everything is reduced up to 50% so it's a great time to go and check them out.

I was absolutely gutted when my method cinnamon bark-fragranced multi-surface cleaner ran out because I absolutely LOVED the fragrance - it's Christmas in a bottle ! - but, because it was a limited edition, I could never find it again.

But this year, method sent through a fantastic Christmas gift - a bottle of cinnamon bark-fragranced handwash. So now I get that absolutely gorgeous scent and I don't even have to do any cleaning - mwahahaha !

The only bad thing is that it is another limited edition (in fact, it could be one of the products that they produce especially as gifts for their fans, that you can't even buy in the shops).

I'm getting a bit obsessive about washing my hands and constantly sniffing them now though !

Saturday, 29 December 2012

I've just posted our review of Fig & Nut Boursin and mentioned that it's a really versatile ingredient. Here are a few recipes that show just some of the ways that Boursin can be used in the kitchen to create tasty dishes.

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Smoked Salmon Blinis With Eggs

This classic breakfast recipe with a twist is perfect for a cosy breakfast in bed

Ingredients:

For the blinis:

100g plain flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp dried yeast

120ml warm milk

1 egg, separated

olive oil, for brushing

For the breakfast:

splash of vinegar

4 eggs

1/2 x 150g packet Boursin tomato, onion & chive

2 – 2 ½ tbsp milk

200g smoked salmon

chives, to garnish

Serves: 4

Prep: 15 mins plus rising

Cook: 20 mins

Method:

1.For the blinis: sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix together the yeast and milk, until well blended. Stir in egg yolk. Pour into the flour, stirring to create a smooth batter. Cover and leave in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, until risen.

2.Whisk the egg white until stiff and gently fold into the batter mixture. Grease a griddle or frying pan with a little oil and heat until piping hot. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, well spaced apart, and cook until the surface starts to bubble, then flip over and cook until golden. Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm. Continue cooking to create 12.

3.Meanwhile for the breakfast, bring a pan of water to the boil and add a large splash of vinegar. Carefully crack the eggs into the pan and poach for about 3 minutes.

4.Quickly mix together the Boursin tomato, onion & chive and milk to create a thick pouring sauce and season well. Arrange 3 blinis on serving plates. Top with smoked salmon, then a poached egg and a big spoonful of the Boursin sauce. Snip over chives to garnish and season. Serve immediately.

Variation: As an alternative, use ready made blinis to cut down on time and simply follow packet instructions for warming through.

Calories per portion: 407

Cost per portion: £2.00

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Squash, Tomato & Chive Risotto

This simple but impressive risotto uses squash for an autumnal twist

Ingredients:

525g squash

5 tbsp olive oil

1/2 bunch sage leaves, shredded

1 Lt chicken or vegetable stock

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

350g Arborio rice

300ml dry white wine

1x 150g packet Boursin tomato, onion & chive

1 x 50g packet wild rocket leaves

Serves: 4

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 200C/fan190C/Gas 6. Cut the squash into even sized small chunks and place in a large roasting tin with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and sage. Stir to coat and roast for 25 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally during cooking, until squash is tender.

2.Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil in a pan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the rice and stir until coated. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, stirring until absorbed. Stir in a ladle spoon of the simmering stock, cooking and stirring over a low heat until absorbed. Continue adding the stock in ladlefuls, stirring, until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

3.Stir the Boursin tomato, onion & chive into the risotto until smooth and creamy and simmer for a further 3 minutes. Divide between warm serving plates. Remove the squash from the oven and divide between the risotto , spooning over the top with pan juices. Top with rocket leaves and serve.

Calories per portion: 721

Cost per portion: £1.93

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Chorizo and Rocket Pizzas

An easy pizza recipe to make for the whole family

Ingredients:

For the dough:

350g strong plain bread flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp easy blend dried yeast

1 tbsp olive oil

200ml luke warm water

For the tomato sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

227g canned chopped tomatoes

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp fresh chopped oregano

For the pizza topping:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced

1 orange pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced

1 red onion, sliced

200g herby black olives

75g sliced chorizo

1 - 2 x 120g packets Boursin Minis

4 medium tomatoes

1 x 50g packet wild rocket

Serves: 4

Prep: 30 mins plus rising

Cook: 30 mins

Method:

1.For the dough: mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and water to form a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 10 minutes. Return to a bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for around 1 ½ hours until well risen and doubled in volume.

2.Meanwhile for the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and cover and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3.For the topping, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the peppers for 10 minutes, over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

4.Divide the dough into four and roll into balls on a floured surface. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 10 – 20 minutes. Roll out each to a 23cm circle. Place on baking sheets and leave for 10 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 220C/fan200C/Gas 7. Divide the tomato sauce between the pizza bases spreading over evenly and leaving a 1cm gap around the edge. Then top the pizzas with the prepared peppers and remaining topping ingredients except the rocket. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately and scatter with rocket.

Calories per portion: 915 Cost per portion: £3.20

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Pork, Pistachio & Herb Terrine

Delicious nuts and berries combine in this seasonal terrine

Ingredients:

1tbsp olive oil

115g chicken livers, chopped

250g maple flavoured streaky bacon or ordinary bacon

500g pork mince

1 x 150g Boursin garlic & herb

2 tbsp red wine

1 tbsp port

1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme

1 tbsp fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

4 juniper berries, crushed and chopped

65g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

grated rind 1 lemon

125g ham off the bone, sliced

sage leaves, to garnish

Serves: 6

Prep: 30 mins plus cooling

Cook: 1hr 5 mins

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180C/fan170C/Gas 4. Lightly oil a 900ml loaf tin. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken livers over a medium heat for about 2 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sealed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2.Using the back of a knife stretch the bacon. Then line the base and sides of the tin with over lapping slices of bacon allowing excess to hang over the edges.

4.Using half the pork mixture spread over the base of the terrine evenly, pressing down well. Top with a layer of ham and then spread over the remaining pork mixture, it will sit high in the loaf tin. Fold over the overhanging bacon to enclose the filling well. Cover with foil. Place the tin in a roasting tin and half fill with boiling water. Bake for 1 hour until meat is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

5.Pour off any juices and weigh down with weights. Chill for at least 6 hours. Carefully remove from the tin and garnish with sage leaves. Serve in slices with a lovely dressed salad and a favourite chutney.

#KitchenClearout

Meet the Madhouse Family !

About Me

I'm mum to Sophie (born in 2001), Juliette (born in 2005) and Pierre (born in 2009). We're all French/English bilingual - even our two dogs Didou and Vicky ! If you have any comments or want me to review your products or host a giveaway, you can contact me at cherylpasquier2002@yahoo.fr .

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